Education Spending Per Student by State

The Census Bureau compiles data on education spending per pupil and elementary/secondary education revenues for each state.

Nationally, the most recent data indicates $11,762 is spent on public education per student. Significant variation exists across states; New York spends more than $20,000 per student, while states like Utah and Idaho report spending about a third as much.

Many different factors and conditions within states influence education spending totals. Some of the more prominent factors include cost of living, class sizes and student demographics.

Expenditures shown in the following table reflect current spending, which does not include capital outlays, interest on debts and payments to other governments.

2016 Public School Spending Per Student By State

State

Total Per Pupil Spending

Total Spending (in Ks)

Instruction Spending Per Pupil

Instruction Spending (in Ks)

Support Services Per Pupil

Support Services (in Ks)

United States

$11,762

$587,004,677

$7,160

$357,578,738

$4,107

$199,467,318

Alabama

$9,236

$6,907,539

$5,257

$3,865,453

$3,321

$2,439,634

Alaska

$17,510

$2,327,151

$9,449

$1,251,738

$7,427

$983,877

Arizona

$7,613

$7,276,067

$4,077

$3,872,250

$3,105

$2,913,176

Arkansas

$9,846

$4,750,938

$5,539

$2,658,253

$3,762

$1,802,769

California

$11,495

$72,641,244

$6,849

$42,587,272

$4,191

$26,058,021

Colorado

$9,575

$8,519,780

$5,423

$4,786,838

$3,785

$3,333,043

Connecticut

$18,958

$9,798,789

$11,656

$6,110,631

$6,621

$3,307,162

Delaware

$14,713

$1,845,143

$9,191

$1,126,775

$4,852

$588,181

District of Columbia

$19,159

$1,007,280

$10,758

$594,396

$7,637

$369,131

Florida

$8,920

$25,339,845

$5,478

$15,212,112

$2,984

$8,286,140

Georgia

$9,769

$17,118,329

$5,975

$10,534,931

$3,216

$5,554,271

Hawaii

$13,748

$2,516,444

$8,066

$1,468,044

$4,953

$901,508

Idaho

$7,157

$1,971,800

$4,262

$1,171,313

$2,508

$689,190

Illinois

$14,180

$29,223,830

$8,636

$17,804,976

$5,134

$10,426,170

Indiana

$9,856

$9,959,771

$5,706

$5,730,602

$3,653

$3,663,349

Iowa

$11,150

$5,694,316

$6,787

$3,447,707

$3,894

$1,978,260

Kansas

$9,960

$4,941,714

$6,063

$3,006,786

$3,401

$1,685,306

Kentucky

$9,863

$6,834,081

$5,708

$3,917,968

$3,533

$2,425,472

Louisiana

$11,038

$7,305,990

$6,199

$4,095,916

$4,222

$2,789,031

Maine

$13,278

$2,491,632

$7,587

$1,437,164

$5,216

$938,187

Maryland

$14,206

$12,516,025

$8,848

$7,779,504

$4,935

$4,338,868

Massachusetts

$15,593

$15,466,496

$9,713

$9,991,819

$5,396

$4,970,289

Michigan

$11,668

$15,860,412

$6,823

$9,113,469

$4,416

$5,899,097

Minnesota

$12,382

$10,520,027

$8,074

$6,548,885

$3,719

$3,016,934

Mississippi

$8,702

$4,246,156

$4,951

$2,407,637

$3,190

$1,551,274

Missouri

$10,313

$9,417,531

$6,156

$5,488,433

$3,700

$3,298,811

Montana

$11,348

$1,657,624

$6,701

$973,199

$4,125

$599,074

Nebraska

$12,299

$3,882,657

$8,008

$2,526,973

$3,642

$1,149,107

Nevada

$8,960

$3,978,436

$5,183

$2,288,790

$3,409

$1,505,591

New Hampshire

$15,340

$2,778,905

$9,610

$1,743,022

$5,341

$959,654

New Jersey

$18,402

$26,756,822

$10,716

$15,831,343

$6,999

$9,549,742

New Mexico

$9,693

$3,102,120

$5,418

$1,733,158

$3,789

$1,212,080

New York

$22,366

$61,447,337

$15,746

$43,964,520

$6,130

$15,883,500

North Carolina

$8,792

$12,917,195

$5,513

$8,060,544

$2,806

$4,102,549

North Dakota

$13,373

$1,460,308

$8,005

$867,650

$4,380

$474,679

Ohio

$12,102

$20,561,122

$7,071

$12,247,509

$4,613

$7,357,292

Oklahoma

$8,097

$5,474,468

$4,528

$3,047,217

$2,989

$2,011,100

Oregon

$10,842

$6,457,713

$6,327

$3,834,741

$4,123

$2,367,410

Pennsylvania

$15,418

$26,261,079

$9,446

$16,717,308

$5,383

$8,464,573

Rhode Island

$15,532

$2,242,317

$9,035

$1,340,088

$6,065

$811,796

South Carolina

$10,249

$7,746,894

$5,629

$4,274,682

$4,054

$3,013,294

South Dakota

$9,176

$1,248,905

$5,360

$730,176

$3,287

$440,580

Tennessee

$8,810

$8,886,616

$5,406

$5,401,812

$2,917

$2,915,193

Texas

$9,016

$45,886,733

$5,514

$27,862,199

$3,002

$15,169,007

Utah

$6,953

$4,095,444

$4,467

$2,591,600

$2,098

$1,217,100

Vermont

$17,873

$1,652,676

$10,720

$1,013,209

$6,629

$583,178

Virginia

$11,432

$14,752,819

$6,966

$8,944,614

$4,024

$5,164,699

Washington

$11,534

$12,569,546

$6,538

$7,087,365

$4,525

$4,904,575

West Virginia

$11,291

$3,167,977

$6,507

$1,804,235

$4,073

$1,127,255

Wisconsin

$11,456

$9,959,870

$6,697

$5,760,418

$4,304

$3,691,439

Wyoming

$16,442

$1,560,764

$9,750

$921,494

$6,197

$585,700

"Total spending" includes non-personnel expenses not shown.
Source: 2016 Annual Survey of School System Finances, U.S. Census Bureau

Fiscal Year 2016 Public Elementary-Secondary School Per Pupil Spending By Function

For most states, instructional employees typically account for slightly more than half of total education spending per student. Support staff and administrative expenses also account for varying expenses. This chart illustrates how major components of education spending per student vary by state. (Also see FY 2015 chart or FY 2014 chart.)

NOTE: Adult education, community services and other nonelementary-secondary program expenditures are excluded. Enrollments for state educational facilities and charter schools whose charters are held by nongovernmental entities are also not reflected in the totals. "Other" spending includes non-personnel related expenses, such as capital outlays and transfer payments to municipal entities.
SOURCE: U.S. Census Bureau 2016 Annual Survey of School System Finances

Historical State School Spending Data

Select a state in the menu below to view reported education revenues and expenditures by state since 2007:

The attorneys for both the Ketchikan Gateway Borough and the state of Alaska relied on differing interpretations of the Alaska Constitution in asserting or denying if the state violates constitutional provisions when it requires that municipalities help pay for education